World Peace Is None of Your Business
by Morrissey
Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 37 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 37
  3. Negative: 0 out of 37
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  1. New Musical Express (NME)
    Jul 15, 2014
    90
    Just as Moz's stance as a one-man outsider army and ringleader of the tormentors is restated, so is his standing as the godfather of indie disaffection and despair.
  2. Paste Magazine
    Jul 15, 2014
    83
    World Peace is None of Your Business may not pack the same jangly punch as Bona Drag, Your Arsenal or even You are the Quarry on first listen but its slight idiosyncrasies within the Morrissey catalog end up being very rewarding on repeated listens.
  3. Record Collector
    Aug 12, 2014
    80
    By and large, the more substantial the lyric the more layered and complex the musical arrangement.
  5. Boston Globe
    Jul 15, 2014
    80
    It’s a reminder that no matter how badly you might think he behaves, Morrissey still does not mince words. And his music is vital because of it.
  6. The Quietus
    Jul 14, 2014
    80
    The very best moments of World Peace... allow a rare slip of a perpetually teenage mask. It's the revenge of Morrissey the artist over Morrissey the cartoon character, and he's caught me completely off guard, the bastard.
  7. The Independent (UK)
    Jul 14, 2014
    80
    It’s a far cry from the usual meat’n’spuds rock that has characterised most Morrissey albums; and a welcome change, suggesting perhaps that this most British of pop bards is renegotiating his own boundaries.
  8. The Observer (UK)
    Jul 14, 2014
    80
    There are points where you sorely wish Morrissey had a few more apercus to impart.... But for every step back, Morrissey's paso doble takes two steps forwards. His years of refusal seem to be turning into years of renewal.
  9. The Guardian
    Jul 10, 2014
    80
    Not as great as you might have hoped, but far better than you might have feared.
  10. The New York Times
    Jul 9, 2014
    80
    In its stompy art song streaked with slick noise and nuevo-flamenco guitar, its clumsy lyrics, its condemnation of so much human endeavor, all its stolid idiosyncrasy, World Peace (Harvest/Capitol) constitutes its own weird kind of pedantic success.
  11. Uncut
    Jul 7, 2014
    80
    The album has its fair share of filler.... But, at its best, World Peace feels like a perfect penultimate episode in the last season of a beloved TV series. [Aug 2014, p.66]
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  12. Mojo
    Jul 7, 2014
    80
    World Peace is unquestionably the most subtle and decorous Morrissey album for many years, possibly since the hallowed Vauxhall And I. [Aug 2014, p.84]
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  13. Q Magazine
    Jul 7, 2014
    80
    The record's strongest, strangest moments come, however, when he lets himself go. [Aug 2014, p.100]
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  14. Billboard.com
    Jul 8, 2014
    77
    It’s essential listening not so much for its quality--uneven, if generally high--but for the strange place it occupies in Morrissey’s discography. Not since 1991’s “Kill Uncle” has he given us anything quite so puzzling.
  15. Los Angeles Times
    Jul 15, 2014
    75
    In reality, his strategy was in place from the beginning: to embody the qualities of a villain--self-pity, megalomania, a flair for exaggeration — while presenting himself as a hero.... And it's the same calculated theatricality that powers his latest lashings on World Peace Is None of Your Business.
  16. Chicago Tribune
    Jul 14, 2014
    75
    This is not Morrissey's finest solo work by a long shot, but as the singer enters his 55th year, its moments of vulnerability feel earned.
  17. Under The Radar
    Jul 16, 2014
    70
    Once you wade through the lesser songs, there are prime Morrissey cuts here.
  18. Spin
    Jul 16, 2014
    70
    Although critics of Morrissey's solo career have justifiably argued that his post-Bona Drag ensembles haven't met the Smiths' lofty bar, World Peace Is None of Your Business is the first Morrissey album that's often stronger musically than it is lyrically.
  19. Rolling Stone
    Jul 15, 2014
    70
    Moz doesn't fare as well protesting Beefaroni (rhymes with "Ah, but lonely") or mean professors. But he saves two stunners for last.
  20. AllMusic
    Jul 14, 2014
    70
    Morrissey isn't living up to what he should do, he's doing whatever he wants to, whether it makes sense or not. That fearlessness may be reckless but it's also welcome.
  21. Drowned In Sound
    Jul 11, 2014
    70
    It is nothing more, and nothing less than a decent Morrissey album, and for some that is all the recommendation needed.
  22. musicOMH.com
    Jul 11, 2014
    70
    At almost 55 minutes, some of the 12 tracks could have done with a bit of trimming, while some songs work better than others. But overall World Peace Is None Of Your Business is a distinctive contribution to Morrissey’s oeuvre.
  23. Austin Chronicle
    Jul 17, 2014
    67
    Rather than refining any creative molds, World Peace stays the course, which could just be creative enough on its own.

Awards & Rankings

78
#78 Most Discussed Album of 2014

User Reviews

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User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 57 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 57
  3. Negative: 9 out of 57
  1. hayceelynt_2
    Jul 19, 2014
    4
    Another disappointing offering from 'The Pope Of Mope'. I was hoping that this album would improve with repeated listenings but sadly itAnother disappointing offering from 'The Pope Of Mope'. I was hoping that this album would improve with repeated listenings but sadly it doesn't . Musically and lyrically it's all over the place, and some of the lyrics are just plain awful.… Full Review »
  2. lenny68
    Jul 17, 2014
    4
    I am a long standing {suffering?!} Smiths/Morrissey fan, so it pains me to say it, but I've just about given up on him. This is yet anotherI am a long standing {suffering?!} Smiths/Morrissey fan, so it pains me to say it, but I've just about given up on him. This is yet another underwhelming album, with very few memorable songs. To be fair, he is in fine voice, possibly never better, and he has attempted to experiment more {though I like the rockier sound he's known for}. The end result though, is a bunch of songs that outstay their welcome long before the end.… Full Review »
  3. VT1971
    Jul 28, 2014
    3
    Dull and underwhelming although histerically busy and all over the place with exactly zero memorable songs that work from start to finish (theDull and underwhelming although histerically busy and all over the place with exactly zero memorable songs that work from start to finish (the closest thing to decent songwriting here is 'Istanbul').And my God those lyrics...so forced,artless and banal-is this the same man once called the greatest living lyricist in pop music?And why on Earth this gay man hates women that much? Anyway,funboys will love it and critic won't give half a bad press deserved because,you know,it's Morrissey but I'm not deaf neither dog from the cover art.He finally turned himself into self-parody.… Full Review »
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